The Marshall Project

Police Recruiters Have a Few Questions

Questionnaires for prospective cops in several cities get personal.

The Oakland, California, Police Department has faced criticism for asking potential recruits whether they had ever been victims of sexual assault. This week Mayor Libby Schaaf ordered the question be dropped as excessively invasive.

But a sampling of the background questionnaires required by police departments in several cities suggests that few corners go unprobed. And prospective

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